1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to fishing hooks and, more particularly, to a baiter type body of fishing hook used for holding a bait fish.
A bait fish is a smaller fish used to attract larger predatory fish also known as game fish. The game fish prey on the smaller fish in their natural habitats of oceans, rivers, lakes or streams. For fishermen looking to catch game fish, it is beneficial to use a type of bait that the game fish are accustomed to hunting and eating.
As used herein, the term “baiter body hook” includes any type of hook designed for use with any type of a bait fish.
Bait fish include species of fish that are able to breed rapidly during their short life span thereby providing abundant numbers of fish readily available to be caught and used as bait. Some of the common types of bait fish include minnows, herring, anchovies, sardine, shad, and shrimp. Depending on the type of game fish being sought determines which species of bait or bait fish is best suited. Any preferred type of bait or bait fish may be used with the current invention.
A game fish is a larger and more desirable type of fish. Common types of game fish include salmon, steelhead, trout, and bass. Fishing for game fish has been a long-standing recreational activity as well as a way to provide fresh fish for human consumption. Use of a fish hook with a type of bait used to lure game fish has been used for centuries as a preferred method of attracting the game fish to the fisherman's lines. Any preferred type of game fish may be caught with the current invention.
Prior art types of baiter hooks are made from heavy materials which add additional weight to the bait fish which make the bait fish sink lower than desired. The combination of the weight of the hook and a heavy leader of the prior art baiter hook causes the bait fish to incline in a steep and unnatural fashion in the water as it trolled (i.e. moved). The heavily weighted bait fish is disposed at an incline with the head of the bait fish held considerably higher than the tail. This orientation detracts away from the natural level attitude of a live swimming fish. Accordingly, it will typically be less successful in attracting the attention of the desired game fish.
Ideally, movement of the bait fish through the water will simulate that of a slightly injured fish. However, an excessively steep attitude is unnatural, even for an injured bait fish and is, therefore, to be avoided. A wounded bait fish tends to swim in a level path but may roll around its center longitudinal axis. Therefore, the goal is to get the bait fish to track and roll as naturally, as possible.
As mentioned previously, the game fish is a predatory species and is continuously looking for smaller fish swimming nearby to feast upon. It is advantageous to the fisherman to provide a baited line that simulates natural movement and characteristics of a live or slightly injured fish swimming through the water. Furthermore, a heavily weighted baited line may sink to a deeper depth than where the desired game fish is potentially located. The undesirable steep angle and greater depth is illustrated in the PRIOR ART drawing figure.
For many fishing applications a spherical lead weight is used to lower the bait fish to a predetermined depth. However, an additional length of the fishing line, and/or an additional length of a leader line extends below the lead weight before actual attachment of a prior art type of baiter hook or the current baiter style of fishing hook occurs. The reason for this is to displace the bait fish a predetermined desired distance away from the lead weight. The distance chosen can vary and it may reflect the skill, instinct and intuition of the fisherman. However, the bait fish is not disposed too close to the lead weight. If the bait fish was adjacent to the lead weight, then disturbances in the water that occur as the lead weight is trolled (i.e., moved horizontally through the water) could discourage the game fish from attacking the bait fish.
It is very important that the bait or bait fish, during trolling, be disposed as close as possible to the same height as the lead weight, and not considerably below the lead weight. This is for two primary reasons. The first is that the lead weight is lowered in the water to what is believed to be the ideal fishing depth. Therefore, it is desirable that the bait fish should also be at or very near that depth. The second reason, as mentioned above, is that if the bait fish and prior art baiter hook are heavy, when trolling they will track below the lead weight and at an unnatural angle.
And there is another significant concern and financial expense that plagues the fisherman who uses this type of arrangement. When the game fish strikes the bait fish, a release device that is attached to the fishing line automatically releases the lead weight, which then falls to the bottom of the water, often to the bottom of the sea, bay or ocean if used in salt water. This permits the fisherman to reel in the game fish and experience the force exerted by the game fish without additional weight or resistance caused by the lead weight.
However, every game fish that strikes the bait fish is not necessarily caught by the fisherman. Many game fish are able to throw the hook from their mouth or simply fail to have the hook engage with their mouth. Every time this happens the lead weight, which can cost upwards of several dollars, is lost. This loss increases the cost of the sport. Fishermen, in general, don't mind this expense if a game fish is actually caught for every lead weight that is lost. However, the pain of the lost lead weight is far more acute if the strike by the game fish does not result in landing the game fish.
Therefore, there is an underlying, yet significant need to increase the percentage of game fish that are actually caught (i.e., landed) by the fisherman as compared to the number of strikes that occur. Increasing this percentage decreases the cost of fishing because fewer of the lead weights would be lost when a game fish is not landed.
To increase the percentage of game fish that are caught as compared to the number of strikes requires presenting the bait fish to the game fish in a more natural manner. If this is accomplished, the game fish is more likely to fully swallow the bait fish during the initial strike, thereby significantly increasing the chances of the game fish ultimately being landed.
Prior art baiter hooks fail to present the bait fish in an optimum manner, as described above. This, in turn, results in a greater percentage of game fish warily approaching and cautiously striking the bait fish, if striking the bait fish at all. A wary strike of the bait fish usually results in the game fish biting only a tail portion of the bait fish. This “weak” strike seldom secures the game fish sufficient to actually land the game fish but it often causes a release of the lead weight.
Therefore, there is an important financial need, the conservation of lead weights, that is satisfied by presenting the bait fish to the game fish in a more natural manner. This includes presenting the bait fish in a more level attitude and allowing for a more natural rotation of the bait fish during trolling.
Additionally placing the bait fish onto a baiter hook may be difficult to accomplish for a beginner or novice fisherman. The bait hook must be securely attached to the bait fish to retain the bait fish while the fisherman's line is trolling through the water. A poorly secured bait fish is likely to fall off the baiter hook leaving an exposed hook in the water. A bait-less or overly exposed hook is ineffective in attracting a game fish.
Also, placing a bait fish onto a baiter hook can be time consuming. The fisherman may be baiting a hook in rough waters and exact placement of the bait fish onto the hook may be a difficult task to accomplish. There may also be times when the fisherman only has a short amount of time to bait a hook and quickly get his line into the water before a prized game fish swims away or a school of game fish swim away.
Additionally, prior art types of baiter hooks are difficult to insert through the body of the bait fish. This is because a flexible stranded wire is used with prior art baiter hooks and the flexible wire makes insertion of the leader through the body of the bait fish difficult to accomplish.
It is also important to ensure when a game fish bites through the body of a bait fish, that the game fish does not sever the line which secures the hook.
There are many different types or styles of hooks that are possible. The two most common types include barbed and barbless hooks. Local regulations may determine the type and number of permissible hooks.
The use of various other specialty-designed hooks, as may be desired, are also possible with the current invention, such as circle hooks which are well-known in the fishing arts.
Ideally, an improved baiter style body and fishing hook is adapted for use with any style, any hook size 8/0 and larger to 1/0 and smaller, and any number of hooks.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a Baiter Style Body and Fishing Hook that helps to ameliorate the above-mentioned problems and difficulties as well as ameliorate those additional problems and difficulties as may be recited in the “OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION” or discussed elsewhere in the specification or which may otherwise exist or occur and that are not specifically mentioned herein.
As various embodiments of the instant invention help provide a more elegant solution to the various problems and difficulties as mentioned herein, or which may otherwise exist or occur and are not specifically mentioned herein, and by a showing that a similar benefit is not available by mere reliance upon the teachings of relevant prior art, the instant invention attests to its novelty. Therefore, by helping to provide a more elegant solution to various needs, some of which may be long-standing in nature, the instant invention further attests that the elements thereof, in combination as claimed, cannot be obvious in light of the teachings of the prior art to a person of ordinary skill and creativity.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be useful and desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Fish and baiter hooks are, in general, known.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.